You Take the High Road
by LadyPorpoise
Summary: The fate of the twins are obscure in the writings. Did they become mortal? Did they go to Valinor to rejoin their family? Or did they go seperate ways. Here is the tragic departure of the sons of Elrond: from mortality, and broken heart. (Bound to continue at some point...I'm alive.)


_A/N I seriously am not sure if I should post this. Because-again-I write something with meaning to expand on it further, but it doesn't happen. Or in some other cases where something is intended to be a oneshot, then it turns into a full blown story. The other factor is that I have too many projects I need to finish before I even think of doing more._

 _But with my slugginess with not writing at all lately...Well, I kind of need to share something, and reading this again, I think it can stand on its own until I can find inspiration to add to it in a reasonable amount of time. There's potential this will continue, so if you like to stick around until that unknown time, feel free. In the meantime: enjoy having your hearts broken. :P_

 _Also...there is no way I'm that cruel, so this is an Alternate Universe to ease the pain and suffering._

* * *

They walked slowly and silently up the slope. Elrohir pulled aside some of the overgrown branches to let Elladan past. Elladan walked by and leaned on his staff as he sighed, turning his head to view the vine-run ruins of Imladris.

Two centuries since the departure of the Ring bearers-a little over a century since Aragorn and Arwen passed. The elves have all but gone, save for the few nomads that walked in the shadows or were hunted by fearful men. Ithilien had become a mannish-settlement again, and the few defiant souls of the wood-elves had turned to darkness, and men hated the elves ever more for their haunting and ominous practices. Imladris, as the twins sadly learned some decades ago, became a target for raiders. Men of that nature had not come back to the place, not since Elladan and Elrohir drove them out by merely existing. Ill rumors about them had since been told.

It grieved their hearts to know that a race they loved very much had come to hate them in this present age.

But robbers were not the cause for this visit to their ancient home. Nay…

It all started with a dream. Elladan and Elrohir were visiting Aragorn and Arwen in Gondor. It was an early morning when the twins awoke, but the days that followed were full of heartache and feelings of betrayal.

The dream did not consist of much. It was only a large black space, the two brothers…and Námo. The twins were caught off guard by this unexpected visit, and they feared greatly. The Vala was not imposing. In fact, it was against all they ever thought Námo would look like. He stood only a few inches higher than they, with pale skin, and silver hair. He wore little but a silver gorget over his black robe.

"You must make your choice soon," the Vala said, surprisingly, in a gentle tone, as if he already knew answers he was going to receive.

Getting over his shock, Elrohir without hesitation stated his choice. "I choose the fate of the Eldar."

The younger twin was sure Elladan would answer the same…

"Man," Elladan answered in a guilty whisper.

Upon that admission, Elrohir's heart broke into two pieces, and his spirit was filled with anger fueled by betrayal and hurt. They argued within the dream, but the Vala bade them stop…and then they woke up. It would be a lie to say things were at peace between the brothers. They were born together, they grew up together, fought together…and now, that bond was all but destroyed.

Elladan had painfully accepted that things would never be the same again and tried to move on with his now mortal life. Elrohir was not so accepting, and he fought against that reality with every fiber of his being. But he grew tired of there being a wall between a person he loved dearly and relented his fight against the truth…partially. They made peace with each other and indeed shared good days and sad days like always. For a time, it seemed nothing was different; their spite forgotten.

Then Aragorn died…and Arwen soon after.

The mortal nature became painfully obvious to the twins again as they witnessed their brother and sister disappear. Elrohir felt the old wound flare up at the thought of seeing Elladan dead. Elladan kept his peace about the prospect of his own death being now inevitable.

Elrohir hovered over his brother like he would disappear the moment he looked away. Elladan allowed Elrohir this, yet he did not want Elrohir to act like things were still the same. It was not the same…and he had to let go eventually.

The years were long to Elladan, and he was grateful for the sudden change of perspective. It forced him to treasure each day because he was not going to get another chance. To Elrohir, they were far too short, and he hated it.

A few short years ago it became obvious Elladan was tired of living. He had lived a long life already…and on this borrowed time, he wanted it to be done and over with. Elladan never aged like a full man would. The only signs that showed his mortal nature were weakness and a few silver hairs added to his mane, but beyond that: nothing changed. Elrohir retained his vitality as an elf would, but living longer than the time appointed for the now faded race had shown its signs of diminishing on him too.

And that was the reason, unknown to Elrohir, why they were here in Imladris…it is to be Elladan's resting place, in the home of his youth and days of elven-life.

"It is thicker more than ever now." Elladan commented tiredly as he leaned on his staff.

Elrohir let go of the branches he was holding aside. He remained silent for a few seconds before answering, "No one is here to trim them anymore…Sooner or later the stone and structures will begin to crumble and fall."

A part of the house already succumbed to the invasive roots.

"The land no longer remembers…cannot remember." Elladan said in turn, before looking away from their vantage point to continue up the hill.

They made their way up to a flat part to make their camp. Elladan sat down on a fallen log and stayed there while Elrohir went to start a fire.

Elladan could feel the weight of years pressing down on him even further. He was right to have suggested this journey, he would not have had the will to go on if they left later. He glanced at Elrohir who sat across from him. Elrohir appeared firm and straight: in denial still.

Seeing that made Elladan want to weep. "Elrohir…"

"Yes?" Elrohir looked away from the fire to the older twin.

Elladan had to put a lot of effort to not say what he used to say in the past. It would only cause another argument, and Elladan was _done_ with arguing. He was not going to fade away with that being the last thing they ever did.

Elrohir looked concerned and almost like he was going to be upset too, yet he kept his composure. "Brother, what is it?"

'Please, Eru, forgive me for what I must do.' "…bring out the wine? I think we ought to reward ourselves for arriving today."

Elrohir appeared a bit relieved by the request, as he thought it was something else. Elrohir did not want any more arguing either. Silently he went to do what was requested of him. Elladan quietly fiddled with a small phial in the folds of his clothes.

Bringing back two chalices and the skin, Elrohir poured the last of elven brew that possibly existed in the world.

Elladan hesitated briefly and had to think quickly for a distraction. "Are there any wolves nearby? Bears?"

"I heard and saw nothing," Elrohir answered slowly.

Elladan shook his head. "Please double check? I rather that we not be disturbed…"

Elrohir looked at his brother oddly, but he gave a meek nod and held his glass out for Elladan to hold.

Elladan took it and waited for Elrohir to be away out of sight. He set his own aside and quickly withdrew the sleeping draught he had concocted for this. As he poured it into Elrohir's drink, the guilt grew increasingly strong within his breast. With unshed tears glistening in his eyes, he repeated the same phrase repeatedly in his mind. 'Forgive me, forgive me, forgive me…'

Elrohir came back a few moments later, still unsuspecting of what was going on. Elladan gave a fake smile and gave the chalice back. Elladan quietly watched as Elrohir drank the tampered wine, feeling like the guilt alone is what was going to kill him.

'I cannot go if he hovers over me all the time…I cannot argue with him anymore and ruin what we have salvaged. He has to learn…Oh, All-father, forgive me.'

They shared companionable silence and the medicine slowly began to work. Elrohir had felt a constant sense of weariness anyway, so he was not too alarmed by this. He only assumed it was because of the hard journey.

Elrohir rested his head against Elladan's shoulder, and the older twin wrapped an arm around him.

Finding it hard to stay awake, and his emotions momentarily out of his control… "Elladan," Elrohir whispered. "…I love you."

Elladan finally felt his heart break, and brokenly he answered before Elrohir was beyond hearing, "I love you too."

When Elrohir finally drifted into the dream world, Elladan wept fiercely into the night.

* * *

Elrohir slowly came to and he felt he had more energy than in the past few weeks. He sighed and stretched a little. His awareness sharpened instantly as the memories of the night prior came to mind. He chastised himself for going to sleep. He was supposed to stay awake until Elladan went to rest. Elrohir would apologize when…

Elrohir looked across the dead fire and saw Elladan laying on his side with his back to the other peredhel. Something was wrong, but Elrohir could not pinpoint it out yet.

"Elladan…?" he whispered tentatively as he kneed his way over.

Elladan did not answer nor did he move.

Elrohir always feared whenever Elladan went to sleep, and his heart began to quicken in said fear as he hastened over to Elladan's side. The younger twin placed a shaky hand on the other's shoulder and moved him slightly. Nothing.

"No, no, no…please, no," Elrohir begged as his voice began to shatter with emotion. He picked up a limp hand and felt that it was cold. He looked for a pulse…and found none. Slowly, he looked at Elladan's face and found it relaxed and white with his eyes closed.

Trembling fiercer than Elrohir could ever recall, he backed away and waterfalls fell out of his eyes, but he made no sound. He could not weep; the grief was so intense. He could hardly breathe, as his heart had stopped. He could not see anything else but the corpse before him, as his heart shattered into more than two pieces.

Elladan was _dead_.

And he could not follow where he was now.

Elrohir shrieked and fell onto Elladan's body and _sobbed_ , sobbed until there was nothing left.

"Why did you do it?! WHY?!" He cried. "Why did you have to go where I can't go?!"

The spirit filled sobs and miserable groanings woke the nearby trees, but they could do nothing other than be confused by this. Soon, Elrohir's sobbing turned into hiccups and moans…and then silence.

* * *

The being stood watching the whole thing play out, and he felt his constant stream of tears intensify for a moment seeing the unspeakable groanings from both souls. One was beyond his reach…the fate of him was left in Eru's hands. Yet he was here only to retrieve the one. Quietly, he waited for the hroä to completely die, before he took the breath that sustained it, and bore it away, leaving two bodies to be buried by the great trees they would create, in the land of their birth.


End file.
